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Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Book Review Silence and Sound by Namitha K

Title: Silence and Sound

Author: Namitha K

Pages: 65

Price: INR 199.00

Publisher: Partridge Publishing

Review

The poetry collection, ‘Silence and Sound,’ by Namitha K contains twenty-four poems in which she represents various shades of a youthful mind. Hope, felicity, sorrow, concern and incertitude form the base for all of the poems, nostalgia being the underlying tone in most. There’s a kind of musical cadence in the poems in spite of being written in free verse. The use of simple words creates a light mood yet packs in a certain depth that cannot be overlooked.A few of the poems stand out for their themes. ‘Just Another Girl’ (pg. 32) and ‘Being A Girl’ (pg. 34) are two such poems that leave us to ponder even after we’ve finished reading the book. The poet has spoken of her fears. But it is not just about herself that she’s talking, rather she’s the voice of every teenage girl who wishes to appear beautiful but is afraid to do so for fear of becoming the victim of unwanted attention. She speaks of the tragedy of being born a girl in this society, of growing up to be a woman whose dignity is not safe from the lechers who fester around us. It is a shame that young girls have to walk around with so much dread and uncertainty. It is a reason for grave concern but the poet is an optimist who believes in fighting for even a stranger thus portraying a not so ruthless world after all. The sentence, ‘There’s always a black sheep,’ (A Rebel, pg. 41) speaks of Namitha’s maturity in sensing a free spirit’s core nature. In very simple words she has been able to drive home an otherwise composite subject. In ‘Shadows That Haunt His Eyes,’ the pain of a boy over his sexual orientation culminates in a positive note where he’s no longer haunted by his demons. It hints at the change that the youths of our present time wish to bring about.The poet has also spoken of the conflict between spiritual and material value in the modern world in a subtle yet strong voice when she plants saplings following the felling of her dear tree. The same concept resurfaces when she talks of ‘a dying tradition’ like the kindling of earthen lamps in temples.Sandwiched amidst these serious issues are poems reflecting Namitha’s love for nature. Her heart bursts into a song with the smallest of things like the first rain or a bird soaring up high in the sky. A typical teen, we hear of her laments over friendships molded and ended; of her desire to fly high and of a caring heart that she nurtures within her.

Cons

There are a few noticeable mistakes in editing and proofreading. The use of emoticon in literature is undesirable and should be avoided.

Verdict

The book needs to be read ones if only to hear out the voice of the youths of today. To know what they think and aspire and to know the workings of the ignited minds. There is potential in the writer which needs an audience to develop further.

About the author

Namitha, a student of architecture, doing her first year, grew up in different states of India. She loves dancing, debating, playing, painting, and writing poems. Her strength lies in focused concentration, adaptability and high spiritedness. She started scribbling verses at the age of eleven. For her, life is a canvas—one that is yet to be filled with all that life has in store. She won the Horlicks Wiz Kids award in 2013.